A Summoning
by Crystal Dawn
Summary: Filia learns a very special spell and summons something quite interesting. Will this help with her loneliness, or will the cure be worse than the disease?
1. Day One

A Summoning: Day One

Disclaimer: This might get ANGSTy. Just a forewarning. Other than that, I don't own any of these characters, nor have I ever claimed to. Nuff Said.

**Feedback:** So mote it be! ~ [SailorN1@aol.com][1]

A Summoning

Day One

by Crystal Dawn Phoenix

Heavy footsteps echoed down long hallways. A man in a black cloak held his side, grimacing. There was liquid black oozing through his fingers, and while pain was usually something he enjoyed, this wasn't that kind of pain.

"I see you've been injured," a woman's voice floated down the hallway at him, "But I take it you succeeded." Cigarette smoke wafted along with her voice. He smiled gravely.

"Yes, Lord," he replied, grinning wickedly, "You won't be troubled with that business anymore. I've taken care of it." There was a noise like ice cubes clinking together in a glass.

"How long will this wound require to heal?", she asked expressionlessly.

"No more than a few days," came the response, "I'm not as young as I once was, you know."

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Fire, fire, cleanse this space," a young woman chanted, holding a burning candle up, "Spirit of fire, light this place." She walked clockwise around a pentagram drawn in white chalk on the floor. The room was lighted only by the candle she held and the full moon streaming in through a window on the east side of the room. The blonde sat the candle down on the north end of the circle and took up an expensive looking wine glass that was laid out there as well. "Water, water, cleanse this space," she continued, flicking water out of the glass with her fingers, "Spirit of water, wash this place." She returned to the northern edge of the circle and picked up a holder with incense burning in it. She took that around the circle as well, followed by a small clay bowl of earth. When she was done with that, she looked over the tools she'd gathered and placed in the circle. Double bladed dagger, amethyst chalice full of wine, sage incense, a small broom. Yes, everything was there that she would need.

She brushed her long blonde hair away from her bare shoulder. She walked clockwise to the northernmost edge of the circle, then picked up her dagger, drawing a pentagram in the air with it. "Spirits of the North," she said quietly, trembling, "I summon, stir, and call thee up." She walked to the east, then the south, then the west, repeating the incantation for each direction as she went. Now was time for the real ceremony to begin.

The blonde knelt down, placing the amethyst chalice in front of her knees. The moonlight reflected brightly off the wine in the glass. She looked into it, then caught her breath, steeling her nerves. "Black light," she chanted softly, "Breath like ice, breathe your chill down into me." An ethereal breeze began to stir around the circle. "Black fire," she continued, shakily, "Black angel, chaos bringer. Slayer of dragons, slayer of men." She took the dagger in her left hand and slashed the palm of her right hand with the blade, letting her blood drop into the chalice and mingle with the wine therein, then repeated the action with the other hand. "I, Filia ul Copt, pledge my blood that you may come forth," she said breathlessly, "Xellos Creed!" She brought the dagger down hard into the chalice, shattering it into splinters.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

"There is no new work for you currently," the smooth female voice reasoned, "I see no trouble with you resting. But do be more careful next time." She was answered with a smirk.

"Always, Lord Beastmaster," he replied. He was about to simply vanish back to his own chambers when he heard some familiar words echoing in the back of his mind.

'Breathe down your chill into me,' they whispered to him, 'Black fire, black angel, chaos bringer...'

"What is it?", she asked, noticing the far-away look in her priest's eyes. He stopped listening to the familiar voice for a second to look at her.

"A summoning," he replied quietly, "I'm being summoned." The look on his master's face didn't show pleasure.

"Very well," she said, begrudgingly, "You are obligated to go, and so you shall." He couldn't hear her, though. The voice in the back of his head grew louder.

'I, Filia ul Copt, pledge my blood that you may come forth,' it spoke, 'Xellos Creed!' The pull was irresistible. It was something he was bound to obey, whether he wanted to or not.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Filia felt herself fall forward to the floor below her. She rested, stomach down, watching the wine from the shattered goblet congeal with her own blood. The floor suddenly became so cold, and she wanted to move, but she knew she was entirely spent from the ritual. The gelatinous maroon-colored liquid moved like it had a will of its own, and in a manner of speaking, it did. It reached the center of the circle, then rippled and reformed until a dark shadow emerged from it. Filia watched in awe. It had actually worked. There was now a man standing in the middle of the circle, clad in a long, black cloak, and with shoulder-length purple hair, holding a staff. Filia watched helplessly as he knelt down and took her slashed palm and held it facing outward. She felt a pressure over the cut, then realized that he was licking it. She could no longer feel pain from it. In a matter of seconds, the wound had vanished altogether. He took the other hand and did likewise.

When he was finished, Xellos sat down, cross-legged in front of Filia. He put his hands under her shoulders and pushed her up off the floor into a sitting position. "Well, now," he said, smiling a little, "This is quite a greeting." He regarded Filia, who was trembling slightly, her long blonde hair falling over her bare shoulders to cover her naked chest. She was entirely nude. Her arms moved shakily to cover her body. "So tell me," Xellos remarked calmly, "Since when do good little Golden Dragons do black magic summonings?" Some of her senses came back to her enough for her to reach out of her circle and grab a robe she'd brought with her.

"I was lonely," she said, quietly. His eyebrows went up.

"And for that, you summoned the priest of a Dark Lord?", he asked in disbelief. 

"You're the only person I know anymore who's still alive," she said quietly, "All our old friends... well, companions... Have long since passed away." He considered this.

"Yes, it has been a long time since we've traveled with Lina, hasn't it?", Xellos reasoned, "More than a century." Filia huddled into the robe. "Weren't you raising Valgaav, though?", Xellos asked, "What became of him?" Filia tossed him a mean look.

"Not Valgaav," she said in a hushed tone, "Just Val. No, he's gone. Has been gone for years now." Her tone was edgy, he could tell. Might be a smart idea not to prod at that.

"So what happened to him?", he asked blithely, "Scar him for life with that mace of yours?" Filia weakly glared at him.

"No, he's dead," she said pointedly, "He was killed in a skirmish with a neighboring kingdom." Time to change the subject, apparently.

"Well, I certainly hope you know the terms of this summoning," Xellos said, opening one eye at the smaller woman, "This isn't just some little spell to summon a creature like a magical beast, or a bird, or a snake, you know. This can get pretty complex." Filia nodded at him.

"I know," she said, "I read up on this at the local Sorcerer's Guild. Well, what's left of it, anyway. You have to stay with me for three days." Xellos smiled at that. She must not have read much in-depth about this subject.

"It's a little more complex than that, Filia, dear," he replied smugly, "I have to do whatever you do, and go wherever you go now. We're bonded by the blood you used to summon me." Filia stared at him. She was lucky enough to stumble upon just the instructions for performing this ritual, but hadn't been able to find much more than that. Magical texts and books were hard to come by these days. "Of course," he continued, "There are several, several more stipulations to doing this. The Dark Lords knew that human beings would eventually find a method of summoning their Priests and Generals. Knowing that, they wanted to keep them from doing it very often. We have work to do, after all. So they put so many restrictions on these summonings that few, if any, sorcerers would bother trying them. For instance, this has left me with only a fraction of my power. Your blood has weakened me quite a bit and made me almost like you. Now I have to do things like eating and sleeping, that I normally wouldn't do." Filia nodded, looking at the floor. None of that was so very bad.

"Very well, then," she replied, "I shall feed you and give you a place to sleep. It's only right, since I summoned you." Xellos continued smiling unnervingly.

"Of course, there's much, much more to it than that," he continued, "But anyway, I'm curious... What would possess a Golden Dragon, let alone a priestess, to learn black magic?" Filia blushed as she studied the cracks in the wooden floor.

"Well, truthfully, I didn't really learn black magic," she said softly, "I only learned enough to cast this summoning. It's hard for a Dragon to cast black magic, you know. It damages our souls. That's why I wasn't wearing any clothing when you appeared. It would've restricted the magic, and I didn't need anything restricting me. It was difficult enough just working that magic as it is." Xellos raised an eyebrow.

"You went to a lot of trouble for this, didn't you?", he asked. She nodded shyly. "You must be really lonely," he remarked, almost laughing, "Especially to summon me, of all creatures. I thought you hated me, Filia?" She smiled softly.

"Oh, I still do, Namagomi," she remarked, "I suppose loneliness can do strange things to your head, neh?"She finally felt strong enough to stand and did so, tying the sash of the robe around her waist so that she didn't feel as naked.

"I suppose so," he responded, smirking, "So. Now that you've summoned me, what do you plan to do? Is there some threat to your life you want me to fend off? Anything in particular you want me to do?" Filia blinked at him.

"Well, we could go down to the kitchen and get tea," she said, thinking, "And I have to take a bath soon. All I want you to do is keep me company..." Xellos blinked at her in disbelief.

"That's really all you want me for?", he asked, disappointed, "You only want a companion? I thought there would be some ulterior motive?" She shook her head in response. 

"No, none," she replied innocently.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Filia put some tea leaves into the diffuser she always used with her favorite tea pot. They were her own special blend, something she'd taken a great deal of care to gather and dry and mix herself. She was interrupted as Xellos stuck his hand into the tea container at the same time as her.

"I've already told you," he said, smiling mockingly, "Everything you do, I have to do, too." He put his leaves into the diffuser in synch with Filia, causing her to glare at him. His hand snapped the lid of the tea container shut at the same time as hers. They put it back into the cabinet together, causing Filia to turn red in the face. She turned away, hoping to reach the teapot before him, but to no avail. He put the diffuser into the water-filled teapot just as she did. Their hands both put the lid onto the pot at the same time and then set the teapot onto the hot stove together. By this time, Filia was absolutely infuriated. 

"You're just doing this to make fun of me!", she said angrily, stalking over to the kitchen table. She angrily plopped down in a chair, noting with some disgust that Xellos was already sitting across the table from her.

"Not at all," he replied, smiling, "I'm bound by blood to do this. I have to, whether I like it or not." Filia sighed, putting her hand to her forehead.

"I'd forgotten just how annoying you could be," she said irritably. Xellos smirked, and twirled his staff on its tip.

"Well, now," he responded, "I suppose that means you shouldn't cast magic that you don't understand, now doesn't it?" Filia made a noise like grumbling and looked over at the teapot, which was beginning to emit steam.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Filia poured the last kettle of hot water into the tub, then turned to give Xellos a critical look. While she'd enjoyed the help in filling the tub, she was a little apprehensive over what was going to happen next. 

"Do you think you can go outside while I take a bath?", she asked, pointing toward the door or the bathroom. Xellos shook his head, smiling.

"Sorry, Filia," he said, reveling in her embarrassment, "I can't do that. I have to stay in here." Filia's face turned red, partly from anger, partly from embarrassment.

"Look, I only summoned you to keep me company," she said, folding her arms and tapping her foot, "Not to ogle me while I take a bath!" Xellos continued smiling.

"I wouldn't ogle you," he responded, "And it's not as if I've not seen you without your clothes before." Filia sighed. There was no way to fight it.

"Fine, do whatever you want," she sighed, frustrated, "Just don't stare." She turned her back to him, blushing, and undid the belt of her bathrobe. It slid down over her shoulders and then off completely before she folded it over and laid it on a nearby dressing table. She stepped into the hot water in the bathtub, keeping her back to him all the while. Her ears perked up as they heard the sound of cloth hitting the floor. "Oh, don't tell me...", she mumbled, listening to the sound of water splashing, then overflowing the tub and pouring into the floor. Filia sighed. "I should've known," she said, defeated.

"Didn't believe me, did you?", Xellos asked, sitting across from her in the tub. He was sitting cross-legged, hands on his ankles. Filia covered her chest and drew her knees up to the rest of her body.

"You big pervert!", she said, blushing furiously, "What in the world do you think you're doing!?" She looked at him from the corner of her eye. What a clever fake he was, carefully made to look like a real human. Excepting that he had a few feral markings on each arm and on the corners of his chest... and a large black gash along the right side of his ribcage.

"What you're doing," he replied, "I thought that was obvious." Filia ignored him and turned to look at his wound.

"What in the world happened?", she asked, reaching over to touch the gash. Xellos smiled nervously and brushed her hand away.

"It's nothing," he said, "I got that during a job I did for Juuou-sama." Filia glared at him.

"It doesn't look like nothing," she said angrily, "Does it hurt?" Xellos gave her a pained grin.

"Well, of course it does," he responded matter-of-factly, "It hurts like hell. What difference does that make? Ack! What are you doing!?" Filia had taken a wet washcloth and was cleaning the wound. He jerked away abruptly.

"Don't," he said, trying to squirm away from her, and splashing more water out of the overfull tub, "It'll heal on its own. I don't need you making it worse with white magic." She sat back up, glaring at him.

"I'm not using any magic on it," she said, irritably, "And you can't heal it yourself, with your powers being reduced like they are. Just let me take a look at it." He stiffened visibly and sat still, allowing her to clean it and prod at it. "Besides," she said, "It'll get infected if I don't." He gritted his teeth and began growling low in his throat.

"What's the difference?", he asked sharply, "You're already making it hurt worse." Filia backed off, satisfied that it was clean, and glared at Xellos.

"Ingrate," she sniffed, "You should be thankful I cared. I should have just let it get infected." She crossed her arms indignantly. "When we get out, I'll put some bandages on it," she said, shyly, trying not to look directly at him. He wasn't bad looking in the least, she admitted to herself. The feral markings actually made him look intriguing... sort of dangerous. His previously sour demeanor faded again, revealing a more obnoxiously cheerful one. He began smiling once again and grabbed a bar of soap from the side of the tub. 

"Soap?", he asked, offering it to her and watching her blush fiercely.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Filia turned the covers of her bed back. They were thick and white, the comforter being about an inch thick and full of down. She got into bed, forgetting momentarily about Xellos, who was standing behind her in a pair of sky blue pyjamas, complete with a night cap and teddy bear. She pulled the covers up to her shoulders and rolled over with her back to him. 

"Well," she said sleepily, "What are you waiting for? Go to bed!" Xellos shrugged, turned out her lamp, and crawled over her to the other side of the bed. "What are you doing!?", she said, sitting up, "Not in here! In another room!" He curled up on top of the covers, his back facing her.

"Don't be silly, Fi-chan," he remarked, causing Filia to fume, "You know I can't do that." This was getting to be too much for her. She questioned if this whole thing had really been such a good idea as she begrudgingly drifted off to sleep.

**Feedback: **Just call me "The Almighty No Sex"! ~ [SailorN1@aol.com][1]

   [1]: mailto:SailorN1@aol.com



	2. Day Two

A Summoning: Day Two

Disclaimer: You know I don't own these guys. I never will own these guys. So why do I have to write stupid disclaimers? Force of habit? Page looks nekkid without anything up top!? WHAT?!

**Feedback: **More, more, more! Love to love your love! ~ [SailorN1@aol.com][1]

A Summoning

Day Two

by Crystal Dawn Phoenix

The light from the early morning sun shone in through the drawn curtains in the window, hitting Filia's eyes and dragging her out of her sleep. She yawned a little, showing her sharp canine teeth, then rubbed her eyes sleepily. She opened them and noticed that both she and Xellos had turned during the night to where they were facing each other. She smiled a little. He looked so innocent when he was asleep, almost like a child. He was curled up into a little ball, teddy in one hand, sucking the thumb on the other. His hair moved slightly as he breathed heavily. Filia knew he wouldn't be asleep for much longer since they were connected now. Testing, she slowly reached a hand out from underneath her downy comforter and moved it toward his face. He flinched back, much as she expected him to.

"I'm not asleep," he mumbled, in answer to an unasked question, before yawning heavily.

"I didn't think so," Filia replied, groggy as well, "Do you want to get up and eat breakfast?" He stretched and scratched his head.

"I guess so," came the reply, "Is this what hunger is like? It's been a while since I've been summoned. I feel... empty." Filia closed her eyes and stretched her legs out, causing her tail to straighten out in the process. Xellos watched her closely, thinking how funny she looked first thing in the morning. Her gold hair was a swirly mess on her pillow, somehow reminding him of an angel's halo. "So what do we do?", he asked, holding his teddy and making sure his arms didn't cause him too much discomfort from his wound, "To make breakfast, I mean."

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Filia cracked a large brown egg and sent the contents falling into a hot, oily skillet. They were shortly followed by another egg, having been broken by Xellos. "You'll have to excuse me if this doesn't turn out right," he said, smiling sheepishly, "I've never had to cook in earnest before. The last person who summoned me ate only in inns and taverns." Filia gave him a sideways glance.

"Oh, they must have been rich, then," she said, baitingly, "Why don't you tell me about it?" He smiled shyly in return as they both turned their eggs with their spatulas. Xellos put a hand behind his head, scratching it.

"Well, I guess," he said, "It was only some nobleman, a few hundred years ago. He was traveling throughout the countryside, trying to find new lands to conquer. I guess he wanted some of my power to help him along. It turned out badly for him." They both reached for their plates to put the eggs on. They already had some pieces of buttered toast on them.

"Oh?", Filia asked, noticing his other hand resting on her back now, "How so? Because he called you?" Xellos chuckled.

"Oh, no, nothing like that," he replied, "He set about his own downfall long before he met me. It was nothing more than his own greed that ended his life. Although I have to admit he was most amusing for us Mazoku. Very few human beings have ever brought as much pain or violence to the world as he did. Very entertaining." Filia glared at him.

"Xellos," she said seriously, her tone making him scoot away a little, "There is entirely too much violence in your life!" He grinned mischievously, spatula-ing the egg up out of the skillet at the same time as Filia scraped hers up.

"Whatever makes you say that?", he asked playfully, "Simply because that was the reason I was created doesn't mean you should make generalizations." Filia gave him a flat look and sat her plate down, then poked him with her free hand. Her finger landed right on his wound, causing him to grimace. "Very funny," he growled, clearly getting irritated, "You'd be well advised to stop poking at that." Filia 'hmph'ed and backed off, grabbing some bacon and throwing it into the frying pan. Xellos grabbed some at the same time and threw it in as well.

After a few seconds, Xellos began smiling again as he and Filia pushed the bacon around the skillet with forks. "So, what are we going to do today?", he asked cheerfully, "Go looking for a magical item? Treasure? Oracle?" Filia put her finger to her lips and looked up, thinking.

"Well," she replied, "I have to make a new teapot today..." Xellos almost fell into the skillet.

"You're not serious?", he said in disbelief, "That's all!? Pottery? What a waste..." Disappointed, he pushed the bacon around with his fork. Filia turned her nose up.

"You still have that wound to worry about, anyway," she said in a condescending tone of voice, "You don't need to do anything for the next few days. How could you be so careless to let them get a hit off on you like that, Xellos? You must really be slipping in your old age..." He could feel she was trying to push him. Might as well humor her.

"Would you like me to show you just how much I am slipping?", he asked, his voice dangerous, his teeth showing, "I'd be more than happy to oblige you..." She could feel his fingers tighten around her long blonde hair and pull it slightly. 

"Xellos, stop!", she gasped, "That hurts!" He released her hair and smiled again. They both turned their bacon, silently, Filia giving him an irritated glare. "That was uncalled for, Namagomi," she finally said, breaking the uneasy stillness, "If I summoned you, you shouldn't hurt me." He smiled at her again, only this time it was more unsettling.

"Oh, that's quite untrue," he replied blithely, "I could kill you if I felt like it." There was that unnatural silence again. The skillet popped and sizzled as they pushed their respective pieces of bacon around the pan.

"Are you going to?", Filia asked finally, her voice hushed, "Wouldn't that hurt you, too?" She began nervously forking the bacon onto her plate as he did likewise.

"Oh, of course it would," he replied, "It'd hurt me a great deal. But I'd be free from this bonding, so I'd heal quickly. But no, I don't think I would kill you. Unless you were being really bothersome. Or I was ordered to." For some reason, Filia didn't feel much better about that. They took the skillet off the heat and turned to go sit down at the table.

Filia sat down, then began poking at her eggs. How insensitive. She had been feeling a little better about this whole thing this morning, but now, after he'd gone and said something like that... How could she even eat after that!? She looked over at Xellos, who had also barely touched his food. "What's the matter with you?", she asked, perhaps a little shorter tempered than she had been before, "Don't you like that food?" He pushed his egg towards his toast as he rested his chin on his hand. 

"I can't eat unless you do," he reminded her, "Can we please eat? I'm starving." Filia sighed and begrudgingly took a bite of her egg. Xellos smiled happily and began eating, and at a much faster pace than her.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Okay, you smooth the sides of the pot out like this..."

"Mmm-hmm..."

"Make sure you have plenty of water on your hands..."

"Mmm-hmm..."

"Would you please quit rubbing my fingers like that...? And do you have to sit so close to me!?" 

Xellos laughed nervously. He was sitting behind Filia, but had gotten so close that it almost looked like she was sitting on his lap. "Oh, I'm sorry, Filia," he said sheepishly, "I just couldn't reach the wheel without being this close..." She glared over her shoulder at him.

"Ri-i-i-ight," she remarked, turning back to the pottery, still glancing backward, half-aggravated, half wondering what he thought he was doing.

"Is this all we'll be doing all day?", he asked, almost in her ear, "This is kind of boring, you know." Filia stuck her nose in the air.

"Maybe for you," she replied, "Although what you'd rather be doing probably involves killing someone or destroying something." Xellos smiled happily.

"Of course!", he responded easily, "I can't fight my nature, now can I?" Filia sighed.

"Well, if you must know," she replied, "There's nothing much to do today. I'm going to the market tomorrow to try and sell some of this pottery. Business has been pretty slow lately." 

"What is the world coming to when there is no longer a need for teapots?", Xellos asked mockingly, "How will we ever survive?" He was right in her ear now, his cold breath making her shiver.

"Jerk," she said irritably, concentrating on the pottery, "On second thought, I DO have to wash clothes today." Xellos cringed.

"You're not suggesting..." he said haltingly, "That I, the Priest of a Dark Lord... Do laundry, are you!?" Filia smirked cruelly.

"Well, if I have to do it," she reasoned, "That means that you have to, too, doesn't it? So, yes, I guess that is what I'm suggesting." She could feel him tense behind her.

"I could just kill you now and this would all be over," he said in a low, threatening voice directed into her ear, causing her to shiver again. She wasn't entirely sure he was playing, either.

"Oh, come on," Filia responded nervously, "Don't be that way! Besides, I have to do laundry." She laughed nervously, hoping to diffuse another difficult situation. He seemed to relax a little.

"Very well, then," he replied begrudgingly, and secretly satisfied with the anxiety he'd just caused her. Her reaction was truly delightful, but he knew he'd have to be careful not to overdo the threats, otherwise she might start to doubt their validity. Given a few more seconds and he was smiling again, happily teasing her and making her nervous by sitting too close. Perhaps she was finally starting to worry for her safety in his presence? That thought made up for the horrendous laundry chores she intended to put him through. 

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Filia sat the laundry basket down, half-way grateful for the help in carrying it. They were now sitting in front of a stream behind Filia's house. It probably fed the well she drew her water from to cook, bathe, and water her garden with. Xellos cringed as she handed him a washboard. 

"Surely you don't expect...", he said, holding it up and looking at her. Sure enough, she already had one out, holding a piece of clothing against it, getting ready to dip it into the river and begin washing. He glared unhappily as he took a piece of white clothing out of the clothes basket. They both began washing, one considerably less enthused about it than the other. Having finished with those pieces of clothing, they put them into the spare basket at the same time, then reached for another piece to wash. Xellos swore to himself that he would have to scare her a great deal to make up for this travesty. Yes, nothing short of outright terror would be acceptable. He kept that in mind as they quickly plowed through the basket of laundry, making short work of Filia's socks, nightshirts, dresses, and blouses. He came upon a few particular pieces of laundry and chuckled to himself. Those would need to be paid EXTRA special attention. He washed them especially hard, grinning all the while, and when he was done held up his handiwork.

"Look, Filia!", he said proudly, holding up three pairs of shrunken panties, "I got these really clean! Don't you think?" Filia almost dropped her washboard in the river when she looked up. Her eyes grew to the size of saucers before rolling back in her head and fluttering shut. She sighed softly, fainting. Xellos dropped the newly shrunken undergarments, glaring at her. He was suddenly beginning to feel very drowsy, most likely in connection with her faint. "Don't go to sleep,", he protested, tipping over, "You... stupid... liz..ar.." He, too, found himself unconscious on the ground.

Not very far from where they were laying, a pair of electric green eyes watched from the seclusion of a thicket. A creature looking very much like a man with green tinted skin stepped out of the shrubbery, scaring a few nearby birds away. He had straight green hair on half his head, covering one eye, while the other side of his head was bald. He was clothed in a white tunic with some body armor and weapons decorating it. He chuckled, stepping closer to the unconscious Filia and Xellos.

"This isn't very much for sport, now is it?", he said in an unearthly voice, "But having your head alone, Xellos, would be enough of a prize. If only to avenge Master Cortez..." He towered over Filia's still form, then kicked her laundry basket over. "Pathetic," he remarked, "A Mazoku Priest doing laundry like an ordinary human servant." The creature picked Filia up by the collar of her dress, causing her to stir back into consciousness. "How sweet," the greenhair said, glaring at Filia with its reptilian eyes, "Once I've drained this little piece of fluff dry, I'll take care of him." Filia's eyes widened, then shot right open. 

"Drained?", she repeated groggily, "What?" She heard a soft chuckling from behind her as Xellos got to his feet, shaking off the fainting spell as well.

"And here I thought I'd gotten rid of all you upstarts," Xellos said, brushing off his cloak with one hand, staff in the other, "Juuou-sama was right. I shall have to be more careful from now on." The creature turned its attention to Xellos, not bothering to drop Filia. "Why don't you put that little lizard down, Fitzroy?", he said, motioning toward Filia with his staff, "And I shall finish what I began with your mentor."

Filia looked from creature to creature, wondering what exactly they were talking about. She could guess from what they were saying that Xellos had fought this thing, or one of its comrades before. The creature gave him an inhuman chuckle and grabbed Filia's throat, tightening its grip until she was suffocating. "What, are you afraid I'll hurt her?", Fitzroy taunted. 

Xellos could suddenly feel a vise-like grip closing around his throat. 'I didn't think it would run this deep,' he thought, glaring at his opponent, 'I have to get him off her before he kills us both.' He grimaced visibly and lunged for the green haired creature, aiming his staff at its arm. He struck hard, knocking Filia to the ground and wounding the human-looking creature. It recoiled and snarled at Xellos.

"Oh, I see," it said, smirking, showing a mouthful of razor sharp teeth, "That weak little woman must have summoned you... and now you're connected... So if I hurt her, I hurt you. And if I kill her, you'll be helpless. This should be terrific sport!" Filia, meanwhile, had sat up and was fuming.

"I am not weak!", she shouted at the creature, earning a glare from both it and Xellos. 

"What sport is it to kill someone who can't defend themselves?", he asked, ignoring Filia's protests and taking up a defensive posture, "Or are you afraid to fight me without a liability?" Fitzroy snorted at him.

"Of course not," it replied, "It would simply make for better hunting, that's all." Filia watched them circle each other like wild dogs for a few more seconds before they threw themselves at one another. There were noises of weapons striking one another and the two combatants wounding each other. The dusky shadows falling across the surrounding trees made seeing them even more difficult than their speed. There were several flashes of black dancing across the general area, clashing against bright flashes of green, tearing up the landscape in the process.

Finally, after a few minutes of this, everything grew still again.

"So, then," Xellos said, appearing suddenly behind Filia, "Shall we hang these clothes up and be done with it? It's about to get dark." Filia gasped, then turned around, relieved that it was only him.

"What happened to...", she began, stooping down to put her laundry back in its basket, never taking her eyes off Xellos.

"Oh, Fitzroy?", he responded, stooping down simultaneously, "I fought him off. No doubt he'll be back soon, though. How unfortunate you had to get mixed up in all this." Filia's hands trembled as they picked up the basket.

"What are you talking about?", she asked angrily, "What did you do, Xellos?!" Xellos smiled sheepishly at her.

"Let's hang these up first," he responded, changing the subject, "Then would you be so kind as to make me a cup of hot tea? That was rather tiring with these new... limitations of mine."

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

The clothes hung up and the sun having set, the two were now sitting in the living room of Filia's little house, having tea. She was becoming more and more suspicious of the infuriatingly smiling Mazoku sitting across the couch from her all the time.

"How soon will that... man be back?", Filia asked, finally breaking the silence, "You don't think he'll come while we're asleep, do you?" Xellos continued smiling over his cup of tea.

"Oh, that's quite possible," he remarked, "As a matter of fact, it wouldn't surprise me in the least." He felt a new wave of anxiety wash over Filia, gleefully enjoying her fear. 

"What did you do to him, Xellos?", she asked pointedly, in an accusing voice, "He's the one who gave you that, isn't he?" She had her finger close to the wound again, making him grimace. "You had a job and you didn't finish it," she remarked sarcastically, "Am I right?" Xellos glared sharply at her.

"No, he's not the one who gave me this wound," he replied curtly, "The one I was sent to eliminate, his master, gave this to me. And I was certain I'd destroyed all of them." Filia smirked knowingly at him.

"Then I guess you really are slipping in your old age, huh?", she asked, earning another glare. An odd light flashed across his face as he opened his eyes. Suddenly, Filia's teacup became unbearably hot as the tea inside began to boil. She gasped and quickly sat it down on the coffee table in front of her, then blew on her nearly scalded fingers. "Don't DO that!", she yelped, shaking her hand out, "And besides, doesn't that hurt you, too?" Xellos's knowing smile returned.

"Oh, of course it does," he replied, "But not as much as it does you." Filia huffed as he drank his tea.

"Well, then," she went on, "What is that thing after? What was he talking about, 'sport'?" Xellos' expression turned serious again, giving Filia a small tinge of anxiety. He placed his teacup in its saucer, then sat it down on the coffee table.

"It's really none of your concern," he replied, "But since you're caught up in this as well, I might as well tell you anyway. Fitzroy is the last of a small band of Mazoku who fancied themselves hunters. Instead of hunting beasts or humans, they hunted other Mazoku, particularly the more powerful of those among us. After killing a few of the more powerful Mazoku and gaining some amount of attention, we discovered that they intended to hunt down Juuou-sama next. The rest I'm sure you can surmise on your own, but what it amounts to is that the creature you saw today is the last one of their band left alive. I'm positive the rest of them are dead. I saw to it myself." Filia picked up her tea, making sure it was cool enough to drink again.

"Then what was he talking about, draining me?", she asked quietly, almost afraid that a loud enough voice would spur him to attack again. Xellos' serious look didn't waiver. 

"That is his special talent," he responded, "Fitzroy can 'drink' the life essence of a person and use it as his power. In short, draining them. If he does it for too long, they will die. That was what he intended to do to you today." Filia looked into her tea, blushing slightly.

"Before I forget," she said softly, "I wanted to thank you for saving me today." Xellos blinked at her for a moment before bursting out into laughter. "What?", she asked, "What's so funny?!" Xellos calmed down and then waved his hand at her.

"Don't be silly," he replied, "I had to save you. If he had killed you, I'd be incapacitated enough for him to kill me easily as well." Filia's face turned red, as she finished a drink of tea.

"Jerk," she mumbled, "I try to be nice and see what happens..."

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Filia crawled under the covers of her bed. She was really tired, but didn't want to go to sleep. At least not with Xellos in the same room. He was making her nervous, especially with the way he'd kept talking about killing her all day. Not that she'd ever admit it to him. She kept her eyes on him as she pulled the blankets up around her shoulders. Instead of the pyjamas he'd worn last night, now he had on a pair of black boxer shorts and an unbuttoned dark purple shirt on. Filia kept eyeing him suspiciously. "Well," she finally said, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to sleep in here with you," was the reply, "If he comes in the night, he'll try to kill you before he does me. It's not as if I have much choice anyway, but you'll be safer with me than anywhere else." Filia seriously doubted that, but said nothing. "Now, then," he said, "May I get into bed?" Filia nodded, still eyeing him skeptically.

"I suppose," she said slowly, watching him climb up onto the bed. Much to Filia's horror, he climbed right on top of her and lay down, supporting his chin with his hands, his elbows propped up on Filia's chest. His nose was almost touching hers as he grinned mischievously. 

"How's this?", he asked, watching her turn red and try to pull the covers up further over her shoulders.

"What do you think you're doing, you pervert!?", she asked angrily, "Are you... Are you trying to... to couple with me?" Xellos blinked, then gave her a surprised look, then began laughing.

"Oh, don't be silly," he said, rolling off of her and onto the other side of the bed. He slid under the blankets, watching her turn all sorts of angry red colors. "Considering our current... arrangement," he said, "It wouldn't be a terribly wise thing to do. It would kill you, at any rate." Filia blinked, then looked at him.

"Another stipulation on summoning you?", she asked, getting another smile from him, "Those Dark Lords thought of everything, didn't they?" Xellos chuckled and held a finger beside his nose.

"Exactly right," he said, "Since most of the more powerful Mazoku take rather attractive human forms, they wanted to be sure that what we were being summoned for wasn't something as frivolous as that." Filia rolled her eyes as she reached over to turn her lamp out.

"Why does that not surprise me?", she asked rhetorically, turning her back to the annoyance laying beside her. But try as she might, Filia couldn't sleep. Maybe she was just paranoid over the creature from before attacking again. Or maybe it was only her dragon's instinct telling her not to fall asleep with something that dangerous and demented next to her. Maybe it was only the fact that since Xellos was under the covers this time, it seemed as if all the heat had been sucked from underneath them. Filia shivered. She hated feeling nervous and on edge like this.

"Fi-chan," she heard Xellos whisper from behind her, "You're still awake..." She wrapped her arms around herself and glared out into the dark room.

"Well, I'd only assume so," she said in a low whisper, "Since you can't go to sleep unless I do." There was silence for a few more minutes.

"Fi-chan," he finally spoke back up, "You're trembling." Filia snorted at him. "Are you cold?", he asked, clearly grinning in the dark, "Or are you just scared?" Filia bristled. "Are you scared of Fitzroy?", he asked, half-way patronizingly, "Or are you afraid of me? Or is it something else?" Filia didn't like the intonation he'd put on the last question, almost as if he were asking if she were afraid of herself. She turned over to face him, glaring.

"Now, look, you - -", she began. He cut her off abruptly.

"Filia, come closer," he said quietly. Filia raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was playing at. She scooted over in the bed toward him.

"What?", she asked, irritably. He motioned toward her with his hand.

"Closer," he whispered, "Come closer." Filia gritted her teeth and scooted further toward him.

"What do you want!?", she hissed, clearly growing tired of his game.

"Just a little more," he replied, "Come a little closer." Filia sighed audibly, but scooted further over anyway.

"What in the world do you want, you mo - -", she asked, being interrupted mid-sentence. She felt a pair of icy arms reach out and grab her far faster than she could react. She heard Xellos chuckle as he pulled her into a vice-like grip against his chest.

"This is the safest place for you right now," he remarked, "Whether we like it or not, I have to keep you as close to me as possible until this is over. So please stop struggling and go to sleep." Filia fumed. She hated it when he was right.

Xellos could practically feel Filia seething against him. This would do just fine. Not only would it be harder for the enemy to injure either of them this way, but Filia was assured to sleep badly throughout the night. Xellos knew that if she fell into a deep sleep, he would be unable to wake if Fitzroy attacked. With her nervous and on edge like this, the slightest disturbance would be sure to wake them both out of a fragile sleep. Xellos smiled to himself and tightened his grip. 

**Feedback: **I don't bite... hard.... ^_~ ~ [SailorN1@aol.com][1]

   [1]: mailto:SailorN1@aol.com



	3. Day Three

A Summoning: Day Three

Disclaimer: WHY am I still even writing these things? A free space to rant, maybe? Well, I was sick yesterday, but I think *hope* I'm over it now. At any rate, I'm damn hungry, and I'm tired of living off of Ramen noodles and spaghetti. There. How's that for ranting? Oh, and I don't own these characters, nor do I claim to. Right.

**Feedback: **It's starting to act like a subliminal message right now, isn't it? ~ [sailorN1@aol.com][1]

A Summoning

Day Three

by Crystal Dawn Phoenix

Filia slowly found herself being drug back to consciousness by the aching feeling that something wasn't right. She opened her eyes and saw her hand resting on Xellos' bare chest. His scent was cool and slightly metallic, and she could feel his breath against the top of her head. One of his arms was wrapped around her shoulder, and the other around her back, his fingers having become tangled in her long blonde hair in the night. Filia suddenly felt him stir awake and begin to move his fingers through her hair. Her eyes shot wide open then, as she tried to push away from him.

"Warm," he muttered, holding her tighter. Filia stopped struggling and he began to nuzzle into her hair. She wasn't entirely sure she wasn't enjoying this, either. Still only half awake, she lay her head down on his chest and closed her eyes again. She was almost asleep again when she heard a chuckling noise coming from beside her. "I thought you hated me?", she heard Xellos say with a yawn, still holding her tight.

"I do, Namagomi," she said, stifling a yawn of her own. She pushed him away again, only slightly more awake this time. He released her playfully, then watched as she stretched, obviously not used to sleeping in such an odd position.

"Did you sleep well, Fi-chan?", he asked, perhaps a little mockingly. That earned him a glare from Filia, who sat up in bed, stretching some more, this time causing her tail to stick straight up in the air behind her.

"I think you know the answer to that," she snapped, "You slept just as badly as I did." Xellos smiled, watching her stretch.

"On the contrary," he corrected, sitting up, "I don't normally need sleep anyhow. A bad night's sleep won't affect me like it will you." He flopped back onto the bed, placing his hands behind his head with a sigh and causing the covers to rustle. Filia rubbed her eyes, glancing at him angrily.

"Just get up," she said, hauling her feet off the side of the bed, "We've got a lot to do today." Xellos sat up again, moving toward the edge of the bed.

"What could we possibly have to do right now?", he asked, slightly irritably, "It's still dark outside. I doubt there's anyone in the market to buy your pottery right now, anyway." Filia gave him a backwards glare and slipped into her houseshoes.

"I know that," she said flatly, "But we have things to do before we go, like eating breakfast, and loading up the wagon." Xellos pouted at that.

"Aww, you're so dull, Filia," he said, getting out of bed as well.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Xellos yawned, stretching his arms high over his head and opening his mouth wide. Filia glared at him.

"Stop that," she scolded quietly, "It's rude, and you'll drive away my customers!" They were both sitting on a large blanket in the busiest part of the market. Filia, being practical, had gotten there at the crack of dawn and had managed to get one of the best spots. Her newest teapots were sitting neatly on top of the blanket, along with several jars, vases, and other pieces of pottery. She had put on her best market dress and earrings and even a nice headdress to match. Even Xellos had admitted that she looked stunning, which made Filia turn red in the face and want to punch him at the same time. 

"Oh, that's nonsense," he replied, "They just naturally steer clear due to your sour disposition." He was fixed with a rather evil look from Filia.

"What was that?", she asked irritably, "You know, it's almost lunch time. I think I could go without eating for the rest of the day if need be..." Xellos looked at her with a little bit of shock on his face.

"But Filia!", he said, almost whining, "That's cruel! I have to eat, too, you know." She folded her arms and thrust her nose into the air. 

"It serves you right, then," she replied. Xellos crossed his arms in return.

"You just don't appreciate me," he said, almost pouting, "At least those girls over there have the good sense to appreciate someone like me..." He pointed toward three pretty young women who were sitting together on a nearby bench. All three waved and smiled in unison, winking at him.

"Hi-i-i-i-i!", they said sweetly, blowing kisses. Xellos waved back and smiled as Filia sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You're only encouraging them," she mumbled. Xellos smiled infuriatingly.

"Jealous?", he asked, teasing. Filia shook her head, too tired to protest.

"Okay, what about this Fitzroy guy?", she asked quietly, "You don't think he'll try to attack us while we're in the market, do you?" Xellos looked around.

"With all these people nearby?", he responded, "Of course he will. That just means there are more people to frighten." Filia's face turned white.

"Here, in the middle of this crowd!?", she wailed, "All my pottery! It could be smashed before I have the chance to sell it!" Xellos smiled.

"Well, I have a simple solution for that," he said, wagging a finger at her. Filia's face brightened.

"What is it?", she asked anxiously. Xellos cupped a hand around his mouth.

"Everything on this blanket is half off today!", he yelled across the marketplace, causing several onlookers to turn their heads and watch, "All our wares are half price!" Filia nearly fainted.

"Are you insane!?", she hissed, "I won't make anything that way!" Xellos turned and smiled at her.

"On the contrary," he said, pointing out the large crowd that had begun to gather around their little spot, "I think you'll sell more this way." Many of the onlookers began to deal with a rather stunned Filia, and a few even dealt with Xellos.

"At least you're a good salesman," she said, "But I'd probably be closer to the truth if I said 'con man'." Xellos ignored her and took some money from a customer. 

"Well, Miss Filia," an aged female voice called from out of the crowd, "I can't say this is much of a surprise." Filia looked up from her trading to find the speaker.

"Huh?", she asked, brushing hair out of her eyes, "Oh, it's you Ms. Alyshia." A woman who looked to be in her mid 40's or 50's pushed her way to the front of the crowd. She folded her arms over her chest and looked down at Filia and Xellos, from over her wire-rimmed glasses. She had white hair done up in a bun on top of her head and a black dress that came down to her ankles. Filia tried to ignore her and went back to trading with one of the shoppers.

"Taking up with another young man again, I see," the older looking woman said, her tone of voice suggesting that she thought herself superior, "How sinful." Xellos blinked and looked over at the old woman.

"Young?", he said, scratching his head, "Is she talking about me?" Filia gave him a sideways glance that practically screamed 'Just shut up'. Filia turned her attention back to the old woman.

"It's not like that," she said firmly, "He's only my... brother." Xellos raised an eyebrow but said nothing, instead taking money from another customer. The old lady turned her nose up in the air.

"And just what about that dress you're wearing there?", she continued, "It's absolutely terrible the way you flounce around in those little outfits!" Filia glared at the aging human. This was quickly wearing on her already thin nerves, as it always did whenever that old windbag showed up.

"If she likes that, she ought to see some of Juuou-sama's outfits," Xellos remarked under his breath, giving Filia a sideways glance. He couldn't find a thing wrong with what she was wearing. In his opinion, it covered a little too much. All the way down past her knees! Honestly, some humans. 

"It's considered perfectly fine where I come from," Filia remarked coldly, taking a few bronze pieces from another customer. The older looking woman seemed undeterred. 

"And didn't I see you loitering around that old run down Sorcerer's Guild building the other day?", Alyshia continued, "No doubt looking for books on some horrible heathen ceremony, I'm sure!" Xellos stifled a chuckle as he watched Filia get even more frustrated with the nosy old woman.

"If she only knew the half of it," Xellos muttered. 

"Really, Ms. Alyshia," Filia said, clearly trying to maintain her composure, "Don't you have anything better to do than come over here and persecute me?" The old lady was about to respond quite brazenly when there was a sudden explosion in the nearby crowd. Xellos handed Filia the money he'd collected and stood up.

"I see he's finally found us," he said absentmindedly, peering out into the crowd. No one noticed his little remark, however, as they were too busy looking at the source of the ruckus: a large green-eyed creature with green hair lopped over one eye. "Filia, do try and stay out of the way," he said, watching her stand up, "This will probably get very, very messy." He was about to head toward the commotion when Filia grabbed his cloak and pulled him back.

"Wait a minute," she said, ignoring the frightened people running past, "If you're going to fight him, don't I have to come with you? We can't be separated, can we?" Xellos smiled.

"Well, I can't get too far away, but I can fight without you," he replied hastily, "It wouldn't be very practical if I couldn't defend myself without you, now would it?" Filia blinked as he disappeared.

"Nothing else about this has been practical," she mused to herself, "Why should it start now?"

Xellos reappeared a small distance away, watching several frightened on-lookers stampede past him. Sure enough, about a meter away, there was Fitzroy, turning over vendor booths and slinging humans out of his way.

"My, my," Xellos commented, loud enough to draw the snarling creature's attention, "That isn't very polite, now is it, Fitzroy-san? You're driving all these nice people's customers away." The rival Mazoku turned to face Xellos, drawing a long dagger from its boot in the process. The weapon began to glow an eerie blue color, showing that it was probably enchanted somehow. He knew he'd have to watch out for that. 

"It's not a part of my game to be polite," Fitzroy responded keenly. A split second later, a flash of green dove at Xellos, causing him to sidestep, and causing Fitzroy to demolish another nearby booth. Time stood still for a moment before the wreckage of the booth exploded outward. Xellos looked toward the sky to see Fitzroy bearing down on him, glowing dagger raised high over his head. Xellos took off skyward, almost moving faster than the human eye could register, and met the attack with his staff.

The sounds of the battle were fierce as flashes of black and green danced across the market place. Explosions rocked the area and sent merchandise and several hapless humans flying through the air. Dirt and rock went airborne as Fitzroy skidded back under the brunt of Xellos' attack. They were nowhere near being evenly matched and Xellos knew it. He didn't expect the fight to last much longer at any rate. 

Fitzroy jumped back, distancing himself from Xellos. He grinned ferally before lunging at the seemingly smaller creature, seeming to disappear as he did so. Xellos dodged, but felt a sharp pain in his side as the hot blade left a long black gash in his body. "Damn!", he muttered to himself, "Sloppy, sloppy..." He turned quickly to face his opponent, who was standing some distance away now, holding his blade up.

"I really thought this would be more of a challenge," the green-haired creature sneered, "You're not making this much fun, are you? But I know how to make it more interesting." It jumped back, as if in preparation to race forward, then disappeared. Xellos looked for him for a second before he felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his shoulder. He gasped and his eyes shot wide open as he felt the burning wound come from out of thin air. There was the sound of a woman screaming sharply from across the market place, in obvious pain. 

"Filia!", he yelled, turning to face their attacker. Fitzroy had his arm around Filia's neck, holding her back to him. Her shoulder was covered in blood, the obvious result of a stab wound.

"Xellos!", she yelled back, her face twisted in pain. Fitzroy chuckled, tracing a line down her chest with his blood stained dagger.

"Now where should I start carving up this little cutie?", the green-eyed demon taunted, bringing the dagger up to Filia's neck, "Wonder where it would hurt the most?" He pressed the blade into her flesh, causing Xellos to wince in return.

"Now that's not really fair, is it?", Xellos asked, wagging a finger at his opponent, "Taking hostages isn't good sportsmanship." Fitzroy dragged the blade down her throat, scraping the skin, and traced a path down her chest with it.

"Who said I intended to take her hostage?", it asked in return, "I'm going to kill her first, then drink your life force before I kill you. Isn't that right, pretty?" He jerked Filia's head back and drug the dagger down a little further, ripping the front of her dress. Xellos glared as his opponent looked for an appropriate spot to make the next wound.

"That's enough," Xellos called, covering the wounded shoulder with one hand, "I'm tired of playing this game." He disappeared suddenly, causing Fitzroy to laugh.

"What, giving up so soon?", it asked in response, "You're a coward!" It pressed the dagger back into Filia's throat again, harder this time, preparing to cut her. Suddenly, Fitzroy dropped the blade, making a gurgling noise. He released Filia, who crumpled to the ground. 

"Oh, I'm not giving up at all, Fitzroy-san," a voice said, seemingly without a visible owner, "I merely stated that I was tired of playing with you, that's all." Fitzroy looked down to find a large black spike protruding from his chest. It screamed, streams of black leaking from the large wound, before Fitzroy finally dissipated.

Xellos reappeared a few seconds later, still clutching his wound. He sank to his knees beside Filia, who was curled up in a little ball on the ground, clutching her matching wound. A small crowd had begun to gather around them, gaping in awe as he scooped her up and stood. 

"Whatever you do, Filia," he said quietly, "Don't let yourself fall asleep right now. You have to stay conscious." He could tell that it was going to be difficult to keep her from passing out from the pain. "We have to get back to your house," he said, hoping she would stay coherent if he talked to her long enough, "I'll carry you, alright?" He noticed the crowd that had gathered around them, staring in fear and shock. "Do any of you know how to heal?", he called into the throng, "Can anyone help her?" A familiar white haired old lady pushed her way to the front of the crowd.

"You can't honestly expect us to help her, can you?", Alyshia asked, pointing, "Look! She even has a tail! She's clearly a demon!" A few of the people in the crowd gasped, and a few of them had already noticed it. Xellos looked down to find that, sure enough, Filia's tail was showing. Of all the bad timing. He made a note to himself to scold her for that later. He looked up at the old woman, opening his eyes.

"Lady," he remarked, fixing her with an icy stare, "You wouldn't know a demon if you saw one." With that, he vanished, leaving the crowd to stare.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Xellos reappeared in Filia's living room, cradling the wounded dragon in his arms. He slumped to his knees and lay her on the floor, her weight being more than he really wanted to support with a wounded shoulder. He could see her breathing heavily and he began to feel drowsy, realizing that she was close to passing out. 'She's lost a lot of blood,' he thought, looking at her stained dress. He shook her good shoulder, causing her to moan in pain. "Filia, don't fall asleep," he said groggily, "Come on, now, you've got to stay awake." He realized she wasn't listening. That wasn't good. He could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness quickly. Undaunted, Xellos reached for Filia's nose and mouth, pinching her nose and shutting her mouth. A few seconds later, he felt himself snap back into cohesive thought as Filia's eyes shot open. She began gasping for air and clutching at her shoulder.

"Don't DO that!", she yelped, her voice audibly strained. Xellos smiled as he propped her up to lean against his lap.

"Do you think you can heal yourself like this?", he asked quietly, "I can really only heal myself with any amount of efficiency when it comes to wounds this big." Filia sighed as her hand covering the wound began to glow.

"I'll be fine," she said quietly. Xellos began to feel a warmth spreading out from the wound in his shoulder. It was soothing, taking the pain away. He began to relax, watching Filia heal her wound. He rested his hand on her head, smoothing some of the blood stained hair out of her face. 

"So," he said, finally, breaking the silence, "What problem did that old human have with you? She seemed quite intent on ruining our day." The warmth of the healing was spreading throughout his entire shoulder now, mending parts that were on the astral plane as well as the physical. 

"That was Ms. Alyshia," Filia said quietly, "She doesn't like me because I'm not from around here. I'm foreign, and sorcery is dying out in this part of the world. People like her have forgotten about Cephied and Shaburanigdo and the other Gods and Mazoku." She fell silent again. Xellos stroked her hair, feeling her fatigue from the wound and the healing spell.

"More's the pity for them," he remarked softly, "I suppose ignorance isn't bliss, then, is it?" Filia didn't respond, but he could hear her breathing heavily as she concentrated on the spell. "Another thing?", he asked, looking down and smiling, "Who was this man she was talking about? Is there anything you'd like to tell me?" He felt Filia chuckle softly against him.

"She was talking about Val," she replied, her voice sounding strained, "I couldn't tell them that he was my 'son'. We looked the same age by the time I moved here. So I didn't tell them anything. She just jumped to conclusions, as usual." There was a pause as Filia thought. "Why?", she asked after a few seconds, "Jealous?" Xellos chuckled, feeling the warmth from the healing spell begin to slowly dissipate as Filia finished.

"Touché," he replied quietly. He felt her stir, moving her hand from her newly healed shoulder. "Are you feeling better?", he asked, watching her push herself up into a sitting position. She turned to face him. 

"Yes I am," she said firmly, "Thank you." She began to stand, brushing dust off her ruined dress.

"Are we going back to the market?", Xellos asked, trying to stand as well, only going about it slower because of the gash along his side. Filia noticed and started to look closer at the wound.

"Of course not!", she replied, "My dress is ruined, we wouldn't be able to sell anything after that ruckus, and I doubt any of my pottery is left intact anyway! And besides that... You're hurt..." Xellos smiled sheepishly as she began to inspect the new wound.

"Now, now, it's not that bad, really," he replied, trying to step back from her, "Don't fuss over it." Filia ignored him, touching the cut and causing him to wince in pain. "Filia," he growled warningly, "Stop that." She backed off, looking at him wide eyed for a second. Silence settled over the room. "So," Xellos finally said, breaking the uneasy stillness, "Don't you think we should go back... I mean, if for no other reason, than to get your money?" Filia shook her head, smiling and taking a small pouch from off her belt.

"I have it all right here," she said, holding it up in her hands, "You didn't think I was foolish enough to leave it laying on the ground during that ruckus, did you?" Xellos smiled at her, folding her hands over the small bag of coins.

"Well, that being the case," he said, "Will you make me a promise?" Filia blinked at him, not sure what to say.

"What?", she asked quietly. 

"I want you to take this money," he said softly, "And move away from this place. Somewhere closer to Sairuun or Sairaag, where sorcery's still in common practice. Alright?" Filia blinked again, then backed away from him, smiling.

"Why, Xellos," she replied, smiling, "I think that's the first unselfish thing you've ever said to me." He grinned back, holding a finger up.

"Of course it's not," he said knowingly, "Because if you ever decide to summon me again, I don't want to come back here. These people are entirely too rude!" Filia put a hand to her forehead.

"Forget I said anything at all," she remarked, still halfway smiling.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Filia ran a brush through her long blonde hair, straightening it out. Xellos did likewise to his own, although it was too short to require as much brushing. They both stood in front of Filia's vanity mirror, regarding their reflections. They were both clean now, free of any blood or dirt that may have clung to them from the day's excursion. Filia wore a lacy white empire waist gown and her houseshoes. Xellos was wearing his blue pyjamas, only this time, the front of the pyjama shirt was sloppily unbuttoned and lopsided. Outside, the sun had set long ago, giving way to night. Now the only light in the room was the small lamp beside Filia's bed. 

"Well?", Filia asked finally, laying the brush down, "Did you get enough to eat at supper? I know you said you were hungry before." Xellos likewise laid his hairbrush down, then looked at her, smiling.

"Don't worry about it," he said softly, "It doesn't really matter. Tomorrow this spell will be undone and I won't need to eat human food anymore." Filia began walking to her bed, shortly followed by Xellos. 

"Are you happy about it?", she asked, her tone hushed, "That you're leaving tomorrow, I mean." He laughed softly, placing his hand behind his head and grinning sheepishly. 

"Well, I don't think I always know when I'm happy," he said as they turned back the covers of the bed, "But I know that leaving here will not make me happy." Filia climbed under the covers, then pulled them up to her chin, watching Xellos climb over her to his side of the bed.

"But I thought you didn't like this place?", she asked, turning to look at him, "Why wouldn't you be happy to leave?" He gave her a knowing smile and tapped her on the nose.

"Now, my dear, that," he said, grinning, "Is a secret." Filia blinked, then turned to put out her lamp. The room went dark as she turned back to face Xellos, who was laying on his back, trying to avoid causing his wounds any more discomfort. She could tell he was in pain from them, particularly the freshest one, but he wouldn't allow her to help. He wouldn't even allow her to look at them too closely. She scooted closer to him under the covers. Maybe another tactic was in order?

"Xellos?", she whispered shyly, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He turned his head to look at her in the darkness.

"Yes?", he answered, raising an eyebrow, "Why are you not asleep yet? Afraid of the dark?" She ignored the half-hearted taunt and scooted closer.

"Well, I was wondering if you could do me a favor," she asked quietly, "Do you think you could... hold me?" Everything was quiet for a minute.

"I suppose," he said haltingly. Filia moved next to him, settling in as he stiffly put an arm around her.

"What's the matter?", she asked softly, "You didn't have any problem with sleeping like this last night." She lay her head on his shoulder as he glanced down at her.

"Well, it's kind of different now," he admitted, sounding a little embarrassed, "Last night, we were in danger of being attacked. And you weren't being as friendly." She put a finger over his lips, hushing him.

"Just go to sleep," she said firmly, laying an arm over his chest. They lay there in silence for a few minutes before Filia moved her hand down his side toward the freshest wound. He didn't say anything, so Filia assumed he must have been close to falling asleep, much as she was. She placed her fingers over the black wound and began to cast a small healing spell. She felt Xellos' arm tighten on her back, drawing her closer. His face turned toward her sleepily. 

"Filia," he said sleepily, "That feels... nice. Do be careful..." He felt the comforting warmth spreading out from the wound and easing him nearly to sleep. He began to nuzzle into her hair, breathing deeply.

Filia concentrated on the spell, knowing that if she went about it too quickly she might hurt him worse than he already was. Most healing spells required that negativity be drawn out of the wound, preventing infection. Filia knew that performing them on Mazoku was difficult at best, considering that they were basically made out of negativity. She concentrated harder, feeling the wound close slowly before being completely healed. Filia moved her hand up to his chest, nearly exhausted. He took her hand in his own and slowly brought it to his lips, giving it a soft kiss.

"If the situation between us were different," he said weakly, "Then I would..." He trailed off, nearly too sleepy to continue.

"How do you know I would let you?", Filia asked in return, teasing, but not really awake enough to put much effort into it. She drifted off to sleep more comfortable than the previous night, feeling a little bit warmer than the last time.

**Feedback:** Just in case you've forgotten since the top of the page ~ [sailorN1@aol.com][1]

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	4. Day Four

A Summoning: Day Four

Disclaimer: I don't own them, you know it, I know it, I didn't claim I did. The only reason I'm writing fics is because it *theoretically* takes less time to write than to draw in comic form. So no one needs to sue me. 

**Feedback: **If you don't, I know how to do the Mei dance and I'm not afraid to use it! ~ [SailorN1@aol.com][1]

A Summoning

Day Four

by Crystal Dawn Phoenix

"So, how long do you have left?", Filia asked, setting her iced tea down on the checkerboard blanket. She watched Xellos take a bite out of a triple decker sandwich and take an hourglass out of the folds of his cloak. He watched some of the sand run out with a great deal of interest, then smiled at Filia.

"Well, I'd say it's not long at all now," he replied, "A few more hours at most. Probably soon after dark." Filia took a delicate bite of her potato salad and smiled back sadly.

"Are you sure you have to leave right away?", she asked, looking at the blanket, "I... wouldn't mind you staying around for a while longer..." Xellos put the hourglass away and put his sandwich down.

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid I won't be allowed to stay longer than the terms of our pact," he replied, "Perhaps I can come to visit sometime, without the bonds of a ceremony. But... it's not likely." Filia sighed and put her plate in her lap.

"Oh, I see," she said sadly, "Well, I understand." Xellos finished his sandwich and began rummaging around Filia's picnic basket . 

"Hey, it's a lot of hard work causing pain and misery throughout the world, you know," he said, sticking his head out of the picnic basket, a chicken leg hanging halfway out of his mouth. He picked the meat off the bone, then removed it from his mouth, putting it back into the basket.

"You're getting just as bad as Lina and Gourry used to be!", Filia remarked, giggling, "You've nearly eaten me out of house and home!" Xellos opened an eye at her, smiling, as he took a ham sandwich and a bottle of hot mustard out of the basket.

"Well, my line of work does take a lot of energy," he remarked, slathering the sandwich in mustard. Filia watched him begin to eat the sandwich, then gasped as she realized what he'd put on it.

"Oh no, Xellos!", she said, grabbing the bottle of hot mustard, "Do you know what this is?!" He took a large bite of the sandwich and blinked at her for a second. His face suddenly turned bright red and his eyes began to water. He took a large gulp and put down the sandwich, the obvious discomfort on his face evident. He gasped and grabbed his glass of tea, draining it in one large gulp. He then went for Filia's tea, draining it as well. She grabbed the large pitcher of iced tea they'd brought out into the backyard with them and held it away from him. "You aren't getting this one," she said stubbornly, "Just wait a few minutes and it'll stop burning. Try eating something else, like some crackers or some fruit." Xellos looked at her pathetically and eyed the pitcher longingly. "No!", she protested, "You aren't getting this!" He whined, fanning his mouth and going back to rummaging in the picnic basket. Eventually he resurfaced with a large red pear. He took a bite and sighed, relieved.

"You're needlessly cruel," he said sadly, "That was horrible. How can humans even eat such wretchedly hot food?" Filia laughed and got a sandwich, putting a small amount of the mustard on it.

"Well, humans normally don't eat their sandwiches dripping with hot mustard, either," she remarked, taking a bite to demonstrate that it was safe. She offered it to Xellos, watching him shy away from it. "Aww, come on," she said coaxingly, "Don't be that way! If a dragon can handle it, I'm sure a big, bad Mazoku wouldn't have any problem with it, right? You wouldn't admit that a dragon is better than a Mazoku at something, would you?" He glared at her and folded his arms.

"I guess I could take a bite," he admitted begrudgingly. He opened an eye as Filia held the sandwich up to his face. He took a bite, chewing carefully as though he were debating whether he liked it or not. After chewing it for a few more seconds, he smiled and grabbed the sandwich away from Filia. "Why, thank you, Fi-chan," he said, smiling, "You saved me the trouble of hunting down another sandwich."

"Give that back, thief!", Filia replied, trying to get the sandwich back from him, "That's not funny!" He held it away from her, watching her stretch to try and get it.

"Well, it only serves you right," he said, "Especially since you wouldn't give me anything else to drink." He stuck his tongue out at her and took another bite of the sandwich. Filia gave up and poured herself another glass of tea. She took a sip and lay back on the blanket, looking up at the sky. "What are you doing?", Xellos asked around a mouthful of sandwich.

"Looking at the clouds," she answered, "Some of the clouds make different shapes on such a pretty day." She pointed toward a cloud floating lazily along in the sky. "See?", she asked, "That one makes a sort of horse... That one looks like a flower..." Xellos looked upward, trying to see what she was referring to.

"Well, I'm glad I don't have so little intelligence that I'm so easily amused," he remarked, taking another bite of his sandwich. Filia sat up, perturbed.

"It's not a lack of intelligence," she corrected, "It takes an imagination to see those shapes." Xellos poured himself another glass of tea and finished his sandwich. He lay back, just as Filia was laying back again.

"I suppose I should enjoy this quiet while I can," he said after several minutes of silence, "I won't be afforded this opportunity when I leave." He took a long drink of his tea.

"I... I'll miss you," Filia said quietly, "You won't get hurt, will you? When you go back to your work, I mean." He smiled over at her.

"Don't worry about it," he said confidently.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * 

"So this is it, huh?", Filia asked sadly, "You're sure you won't stay longer?" Xellos shook his head and smiled, taking both of her hands.

"I can't," he said firmly. Filia lowered her head. They were now back inside the very same chalk circle that Filia had summoned him in three short days ago. She looked back up, smiling forlornly with tears in her eyes. "Don't cry," he said, "I'll try to come see you again." She flung her arms around him and gave him a hug, burying her face in his chest. He stiffly brought a hand up and put it on her back. 

"I understand," she replied quietly after a little bit before looking up at him sadly, "I wish you could stay. I'll miss you." He smiled down at her, winking.

"Well, if I can't come back on my own," he reminded her, "Then you could always summon me again." She smiled a little.

"Promise me you'll stay safe?", she asked, "Don't get hurt." He grinned.

"Don't be silly," he said in return, "I'll be fine." There was silence for a while afterwards.

"So, this is where we say 'Goodbye', isn't it?", Filia asked sadly. He nodded back.

"This is where we say 'Goodbye'," he affirmed, "I have to go n..." He was cut off abruptly as Filia reached up and gave him a kiss. He stiffened for a second before loosening up and kissing her back. After nearly a whole minute longer, he pulled away, watching Filia blush deeply.

"Goodbye," she said quietly. He smiled back at her.

"Goodbye," he said, vanishing from sight.

**_Epilogue_**

"So," a woman said, "You had a nice time."

"I did," Xellos replied. His cheeks were burning from the question. His lips were still hot from Filia's kiss, and he felt a little dizzy from being so close to her. Confusing feelings were making it hard to think.

"I take it you've had sufficient time to recover from your wounds," the woman continued, "I have something that needs done soon." Xellos seemed dazed for a second.

"Oh," he finally said, "Oh, of course. I'm fine." The woman took a drag off her cigarette and gave him an odd look.

"Well, that being the case," she said, "I want you to get to work right away." He suddenly seemed to snap out of it.

"Ah, Juuou-sama," he said, "Is there any way I could perhaps... after this next task, I mean... take a day or two and... go visit her?" She cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. What an odd request.

"I'll see about it," she said vaguely, "Right now, just concentrate on the task at hand."

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Filia unwrapped a teapot that was nestled in a large covering of tissue paper. She set it on a shelf, carefully placing it to show off its best side. She placed her hands on her hips and looked around. The new shop was full of unopened boxes and baskets. It had been difficult to move her heavier furniture, like her couch and bed, into her new house by herself, though. Not that she wasn't more than strong enough, it was only that they were rather large and cumbersome to carry, especially up a flight of stairs. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and flopped down onto a large pile of blankets and pillows that had been carelessly thrown into a corner of the new storefront room. Her actual living spaces were farther in the back of the house, so she didn't have a couch in this room. 

Filia had moved just a few days ago to a nice shopping district in Sairuun, hoping to make a better business here than in her last home. She had discovered that Amelia's descendants, her grandchildren or great-grandchildren, were still on the throne. That was a good sign, she'd thought to herself. Having learned that, she took the money she'd earned at the market, and a little that she'd saved up as well and moved. So far, the people here were being friendly, and a little curious about someone from out of town as well. She'd already met so many nice people who were her new neighbors, and felt at home already.

Filia sighed, slipping her shoes off and fanning herself with her hand. This was hard work! She considered getting up and turning the lamps off and going to bed. Not a bad idea, actually. But it was still so early and there was still so much she could get done. Filia sat up and walked over to another box, opening it and rummaging through it, looking for another nice teapot to set on a shelf. She picked up a shiny, polished white one with roses painted on it, and began peeling away the layers of wrapping around it.

There was a sudden knock at the door. Since it was already dusk, Filia tried to look out the window and see who was at her door. It was too dark already for her to see them, and the street lamps hadn't been lit for the evening yet. Filia put down the teapot.

"Now, who would be calling at this time of night?", she asked herself, stepping around boxes and baskets and various other things in the floor. She smoothed out her pink dress and brushed the hair out of her face before she reached for the door knob. Filia opened the door just a crack, peeking outside to see who was knocking on her door.

There was a man dressed in a streamlined black suit, looking quite refined. He held a bottle of wine in one hand and a bouquet of red roses and white lilies in the other hand. His fine, straight hair hang over his eyes, shading them while he grinned. He extended the flowers to a surprised Filia and kissed her hand as she took them.

"May I come in?", Xellos asked, stepping closer, "It seems like we have a little bit of catching up to do..."

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